Paint sampler device



y 1967 A. STAMULIS ETAL 3,320,810

PAINT SAMPLER DEVI CE Filed Jan. 22, 1965 INVENTORS A 9/3 TIDE S .S'TAMUL l5 FRANK J LAG'AIVA BY Z Z MAGENT MW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,320,810 PAINT SAMPLER DEVICE Aristides Stamulis, Washington, D.C., and Frank J. Lagana, Laurei, Md, assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Jan. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 427,520 6 Claims. (Cl. 73-424) The invention described herein may -be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention is directed to a Paint Film Sampler and more particularly directed to a device for obtaining paint samples from a painted surface.

Here'tofore various types of sampling devices have been used; however, there is no knOWn similar paint sampler device. One such similar sample obtaining device is directed to a plunger type apparatus wherein the bottom of the'plunger has a tacky substance applied thereto which is placed in contact with a surface to obtain therefrom particles or some other contamination from the surface. Other type samplers are of the impact type, in which a plunger or punch type device is struck against the surface thereby knocking particles from the surface which are obtained as a sample. These impact devices damage the substrate surface and thereby are not satisfactory for obtaining samples.

The present device overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by obtaining samples from painted surfaces without damage to the substrate surface or causing other adverse affects to the substrate surface from which the paint sample is obtained.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a paint sample device which obtains paint samples without any adverse affects on the substrate surface from which the paint sample is taken.

Another object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, readily useable device for recovering paint samples from a metal or nonmetalic surfaces.

Still another object is to provide a paint sample obtaining device which may be used by inexperienced personnel as well as experienced personnel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description and the annex drawings wherein:

FIG. 1, illustrates a cross sectional view of sampler device; and

FIG. 2, is an exploded view of the various parts illustrating their relative positions.

The paint sampler of the present invention comprises a body or base of a permanent magnetic or non-magnetic material having feet thereon which rest upon a surface from which a paint sample is to be taken. The base has an aperture through the center thereof in which a bushing is secured between the bottom of the base and the feet on the base. A cutter holder has a cutter secured at one end and a shaft which extends up through the bushing to the upper side of the base such that the cutter end rests within the bushing. A hand operated knob is secured to the upper end of the shaft.

It is preferred that the cutter blade be secured to the cutter holder by brazing methods to prevent damage to the cutting edge of the cutting blade. It is also preferred that the cutting blade be of a hardness greater than that of the paint to be removed from the painted surface.

In obtaining paint samples the feet are rested upon the surface from which the paint sample is to be obtained and the knob is pushed towards the paint surface thereby forcing the cutter toward the painted surface. The knob is then rotated wherein the cutter is moved and disintegrates the paint film over a circular area, the diameter of 3,320,810 Patented May 23, 1967 which is determined by the length of the cutting blade.- A gasket is secured to the bottom end of the bushing to prevent paint particles from escaping from the area of the bushing. The bushing may be provided with oppositely disposed nipples secured in apertures which pass through the bushing wherein a vacuum or air pressure is applied to force or withdraw the paint particles from the bushing area while the paint sample is being taken. When a vacuum or air pressure is used the paint sample is then caught in a paint sample container which is remote from the paint sample removing device.

Now referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, there is shown by illustration in FIG. 1 a cross sectional view of a paint sample device which removes paint samples from a surface and then the paint sample may be forced from the paint sample device into a paint sample container. The paint sample device comprises a base, 10, with, feet 11, extending therefrom substantially perpendicular thereto. An aperture, 12, is formed through the center of the base in which a bushing, 13, is forced into the aperture. The bushing, 13, includes a greater diameter portion, 14, be low the base which may be considered a housing within which a cutter blade is rotated for obtaining paint samples. A cutter blade holder, :15, comprises an end section, 16, having a diameter substantially the same diameter as the inside diameter of the housing and a stem, 17, which extends upwardly through the bushing beyond the upper surface of the base. A knob, 18, is secured to a smaller diameter portion of the upper end of the tool holder for rotation of the tool holder within the bushing or housing. A cutter blade, 19, is secured to the bottom of the cutter blade holder. The bottom edge of the bushing has a neoprene gasket, 20, or any other similar sealing material secured thereto to prevent paint particles from escaping from the housing when the paint sample is obtained. Each of the feet may have secured thereto a rubber covering, 21, or a mastic material to prevent the base from moving relative to the surface from which a paint sample is being taken. The bushing includes oppositely disposed apertures, 22, in the bottom portion thereof in which suitable nipples, 23, are secured.

In operation, the device is asembled with the tool holder-cutter within the bushing wherein the tool holder shaft extends upwardly beyond the base portion such that the tool holder can be moved in a. line perpendicular to the horizontal portion of the base. The device is placed against a painted surface with the feet and the neoprene gasket on the bushing resting upon the painted surface. The tool holder is then forced toward the painted surface until the cutter blade contacts the painted surface. The tool holder is then rotated in even circular motions backwards and forwards such that the cutter blade will remove and disintegrate the paint film over a circular area which has the same diameter as the cutter blade. The particles removed from the painted surface will then fall into the bushing housing so that they may be obtained when the device is removed from the painted surface.

When using the device to remove a paint sample from a painted surface below the device or from a vertical surface, the paint particles removed from the surface may fall from the device when removing the device. Therefore, the nipples on the bushing housing may be secured to a suitable rubber hose connected with a remote paint sample container wherein compressed air or a vacuum system may be used in removing the paint particles from the bushing housing during the time the paint is removed from the surface. Thus, the paint samples will be removed from the bushing housing to the remote paint sample container such that the paint sample removed from the painted surface will not be lost or dropped when the paint sample device is removed from the painted surface. In using air under pressure, the air pressure device is secured to one nipple of the bushing housing which forces the paint particles through the nipple on the opposite side through the hose into a remote paint sample receptacle. Thus the remote paint sample receptacle must have an opening to the air which is sufficiently screened offi to prevent the passage of any paint sample particles out through the open end of the remote paint sample holder. When using a vacuum device or compresser for removing the paint particles from the bushing housing, the vacuum system is connected to one nipple on one side and the nipple on the opposite side is left open such that the air being drawn through the housing will carry the paint particles with the air through the hose to the paint sample. container remote from the paint sample cutting device.

When the base member is made of a permanent magnetic material the device will automatically be secured to a metallic surface by the magnetic attraction. Even though there is a magneticattraction between the paint sample device and the painted surface the device may move in a plane relative to the surface of the painted surface, therefor, the feet of the base is provided with the rubber covers or a mastic which Will prevent the device from rotation or slipping relative to the painted surface. Since the cutter blade rotates flat against the painted surface to remove the paint sample, it can be seen that the device can be used to obtain paint samples from a surface without any adverse affects on the surface from which the paint is removed.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that Within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A paint sampling device which comprises:

a base member,

said base member including a substantially straight portion with a leg portion at each end of said substantially straight portion,

a housing secured to said base member between said leg portions of said base member, and

a cutter blade secured within said housing and movable relative to said housing along a line perpendicular to said housing and rotatable about said line.

2. A paint sampling device which comprises:

a base member,

said base member including a substantially straight said base including an aperture therethrough into said housing along a line perpendicular to said base, a cutter blade holder secured Within said housing with a portion extending through said aperture in said base and protruding beyond said base,

a knob secured to the end of said cutter blade holder protruding beyondsaid base, and

a cutter blade secured in said cutter blade holder within said housing.

3. Apaint sampling device which comprises:

a base member,

said base member including a substantially straight portion with substantially perpendicular leg portions at each end of said substantially straight portion,

said base including an aperture through said substantially straight portion on a line perpendicular to said base in a plane through said leg portions,

a housing secured to said base portion and centered about saidaperture through said base,

a cutter blade holder secured within said housing with a portion thereof extending through said aperture in said base and protruding beyond said base,

a knob secured to the end of said cutter blade holder protruding beyond said base to permit movement of said cutter blade holder relative to a line through.

said aperture and rotatable about said line, and a cutter blade secured to said cutter bladeholder within said housing for movement therewith. 4. A paint sampler as claimed in claim 3 wherein: said base member is made of a permanent'magnet. 5. A paint sampler as claimed in claim 4 wherein: said leg portions of said base member includes nonskid material on the outer end thereof.

6. A paint sampler as claimed in claim 4 wherein: said housing includes a bushing portion that extends into said aperture within said base member and said cutter blade holder portion extending through said base extends through said bushing portion of. said housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner.

D. M. YASICH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PAINT SAMPLING DEVICE WHICH COMPRISES: A BASE MEMBER, SAID BASE MEMBER INCLUDING A SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT PORTION WITH A LEG PORTION AT EACH END OF SAID SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT PORTION, A HOUSING SECURED TO SAID BASE MEMBER BETWEEN SAID LEG PORTIONS OF SAID BASE MEMBER, AND A CUTTER BLADE SECURED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING ALONG A LINE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID HOUSING AND ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID LINE. 